Chapter Twenty

Sasuke stood back as those not finishing up with the docking procedures descended down the gangplank and onto the large dock filled to the brim with those waiting to hold their loved ones in their arms once more. It felt strange to stare as sailors were wrapped in arms and kissed with both desperation and anticipation. He had never had someone waiting for him, nor had he expected it. Juugo and, to a small extent, Kakashi were the only people who would give him more than a passing thought during his time with the navy save for those trying to find their way into his pants.

He shifted his gaze to where Itachi sat on the railing beside Kisame. There was a small smile curving his lips and his eyes gleamed with light. It was not hard to miss the way large, work-worn fingers traced along Itachi's trouser clad thigh in a familiar stroke.

A lover's touch, or at least what Sasuke could assume was a lover's touch. He had never experienced such, nor felt any insistent desire to seek out someone. With Itachi in his life once more, and their reunion finally a reality, he supposed he could turn his thoughts in that direction if not for the way such thoughts caused bile to rise in his throat. Their relationship was strained at best and Kisame's presence did not help.

His gaze narrowed as it landed on Kisame. Silvery blue eyes gleamed and the hand lightly brushing Itachi's thigh curved along the inside, dangerously close to his crotch. Hands fisted and he stepped forward even knowing Kisame was taunting him, yet he could not stop himself from reacting. "Son of a bitch."

Juugo's large presence behind him shifted and a hand settled on his shoulder. "Calm down, Sasuke."

"I should run him through," snarled Sasuke, his muscles taut with strain. "I should kill him now."

"You would be dead a minute later, even should you actually killed him." Juugo gave a small chuckle. "You know he does it simply to bring a rise from you."

Reason was never something Sasuke could fully process when his temper was enraged. "At least, I would have a moment of satisfaction."

"And your brother?" asked Juugo with a hint of humor tingeing his voice. "What about him?"

A few deep breaths had Sasuke gaining control over his emotions. "He's the only reason I haven't already shot a ball through Kisame's heart."

"He's testing you. Let it go."

A small smirk curved across Sasuke's face. "You're one to talk. I've seen you go practically feral with little provocation."

Juugo sighed and stepped away. "A flaw I doubt I will ever master."

"Then you and I are in the same situation." Sasuke turned his gaze back to where Itachi was stepping away from Kisame. "I doubt I will ever be able to master my flaw either."

"What flaw is that?"

Sasuke slowly relaxed his palms. "The desire to be the only one in Itachi's heart?"

There was a length of silence before Juugo spoke. "You desire your brother?"

The words had Sasuke starting. "No!"

"Then, how can you wish to be the only person in his heart?" asked Juugo thoughtfully.

Sasuke remained silent. His jaw clenched and unclenched in slow pulses. The words, though spoken in curiosity, roused an inkling in him. He had never really thought of being with anyone in such a way, always pushing back thoughts of physical pleasure in favor of focusing his energy on finding his brother. Was it strange that now Itachi was in his life, such a thought of being with his brother would be so strange when presented by his friend? Shaking his head, he pushed the thought away. The mere thought of being with Itachi was shameful. Being with another man was looked down on enough, but to be with one's brother was seen as truly horrific.

The ship was nearly emptied of the entire crew. Itachi approached him with a light step and met Sasuke's gaze. "You're free to do as you like on the island as long as you abide by the laws. I've spoken with Kisame. Sasuke, you're staying with us. Shikamaru has agreed to allow Juugo to stay with him and Neji."

Sasuke glanced to Juugo before nodding in agreement to Itachi. Shikamaru seemed like the decent sort from what little Sasuke knew of him. He trusted Juugo in their home and his friend seemed more than amicable with the announcement.

Juugo smiled widely and patted Sasuke on the shoulder before grabbing his satchel of belongings and trotting down the plank to where Shikamaru was lazing against the wall of a building while speaking calmly with Neji in a quiet voice. He shook hands with both men before he was led away down the rutted road and from Sasuke's sight.

Sasuke felt the touch of Kisame's gaze on him. He turned to find him staring at him with a small frown on his lips. "What is it?" he growled at the man.

"Nothing," growled Kisame back.

Itachi shot both men a withering glare before turning without another word and working his way down the gangplank just in time to scoop up a small redheaded girl into his arms with a smile. There was a look on Itachi's face that Sasuke could not recall having seen before. It was happiness, worry, and relief all mixed together. He wondered if it was a mirror of how his brother looked at him before their separation.

Kisame must have noticed the frown that formed on Sasuke's face. "That's the captain's daughter, Iris."

"He has a daughter?" he glanced back to the still closed door to the captain's cabin. "Why isn't he out here to greet her?"

"Not my place to gossip." Kisame grinned down at Sasuke. "I'm sure you'll find out all the little secrets hiding around the island eventually. It's a small community."

Sasuke ignored him and made his way to where Itachi still cradled the girl in his arms. The little girl glanced at Sasuke before hiding her face in Itachi's shoulder, giving the occasional peek at Sasuke through long messy bangs.

"Sasuke, this is Iris," said Itachi. "Iris, this is my brother Sasuke."

"You found him?" Iris lifted her head and stared at Sasuke. Her lower lip quivered faintly and her hand dipped in a deep pocket sewn into her smock to retrieve a small wooden animal carved from what looked to be driftwood. "Do I have to give this back?"

Sasuke stared at the small toy with a confused frown. "I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"This is yours, isn't it? Itachi gave it too me, but Kurenai says its bad to take things that belong to other people."

Itachi gave a small cough followed by a chuckle. "It's the toy Dan carved for you while you were onboard the ship."

With wide eyes, Sasuke took the small carved toy from the girl and turned it over in his hand. The wood was rubbed smooth in places and had obviously been touched and worried. His gaze shot to Itachi and his lips parted slightly upon seeing the faint blush on his brother's cheeks.

He smiled and offered the animal to Iris. "You keep it. I'm a little old for toys."

Her face lit up and a happy blush darkened the smattering of freckles across her nose. "Thank you."

"Iris." Pein stepped from the ship with a few charts rolled in his arms. "Why are you here? You should be preparing for bed."

Iris paled and began to nibble on her lower lip. "I'm sorry. I wanted to see the ship come in."

Pein grunted and strode to where Itachi was lowering Iris to the ground. "Come along then. I'm sure the housekeeper is worried about you."

"Yes, sir," she murmured and shifted on her bare feet until her father walked past without giving her much of a glance. Her hand lifted in a small wave to the three men before she followed quickly behind her father.

Sasuke knew he and Itachi hadn't had the best relationship with their father, but at least they had not been completely invisible to him. "He's a bastard."

Itachi's gaze shifted from the disappearing backs of father and daughter to Sasuke. "He's your captain, so show some respect."

"Don't tell me you're not angry? I saw the way you treated that girl." snarled Sasuke to his brother. "Show some emotion, damn it. You weren't this cold before."

"I'm not the same person I was then," Itachi snapped back. "We've both changed. There is nothing I can do to change how Pein chooses to treat his own daughter. As long as she is cared for and has a house over her head, I can say nothing to him."

There was something in Itachi's eyes. It was a spark of anger and frustration. He had seen it when Pein had spoken to Iris as if she was a wayward member of his crew rather than his ten year old daughter. That Itachi remained silent during this angered Sasuke.

"So you're just going to leave things as they are?" Sasuke's hands fisted at his sides. He found himself growing more and more frustrated with Itachi's withdrawn attitude. At first he ignored it, but now he found the trait fueling his frustrations even further. "Is that why you never found me? Was it better to leave that as it was?"

Itachi's eyes flashed in the dim lamplight along the dock. "Sasuke-"

"It's a sad thing, the relationship of those two."

The three men turned to see Kurenai approach with Asuma, a large arm wrapped tightly about her waist. "It's his business," muttered Kisame, though the attitude his captain directed towards his daughter obviously did not sit well with him.

"Is Captain Jiraiya about?" asked Itachi after several moments of silent council.

Kurenai shook her head and sighed. "He's taken the crew of the Red Fox and set about preparing Naruto to take over as captain. I was glad when the Cloud arrived. I've always been uncomfortable when both ships were away."

"I don't know what you hope to gain by talking to Jiraiya." Kisame rolled his eyes in an exaggerated motion. "If he could do something about Pein's relationship with Iris, he would have done so years ago. Leave it be, Itachi. It's a lost cause. Pein is my friend as well as my captain, but even I know when there is no hope."

There was a moment Itachi looked as if he planned to slam a fist into Kisame's face. A small flicker of anger rose to the surface, only to be tamped forcibly down. "Let's go."

Itachi and Kisame led the way down the winding, rutted road towards their house. A strained silence filled the space between the three. Itachi seemed lost in thought, causing Sasuke to wonder at what was working through his mind. The moon was rising on the horizon as they stepped inside. Kisame immediately lit a lantern with a flint from his pocket before moving about the room to light the wicks on a few candles and another two lanterns.

"There is a spare bed through here." Itachi opened a door to a small room housing a bed, dresser, and desk. It was plain and simple, as if waiting for an occupant to give it life.

Sasuke stepped inside, dropping his satchel of belongings on the quilt covered bed. Shadows were created by the soft glow of the lantern, giving the space a sinister aura. "Thank you."

"If you're hungry, there's some hard tack and jerky in the pantry. Kurenai checks the larder periodically when we are away at sea. We'll go to the market tomorrow to pick up some fresh supplies. I'm hopeful we'll stay on the island for a few weeks until Captain Jiraiya returns." Itachi shifted slightly, moving forward to touch Sasuke's arm. "I'm glad I found you. I had given up."

Sasuke felt a shiver subtly shake his body at the touch. "I suppose that is where we are different because I never gave up on finding you."

A look of hurt flashed across Itachi's face and he dropped his arm. "Rest well, Sasuke."

The small flash of emotion on Itachi's face tore at him. Itachi's face used to hold so many emotions, yet now only small flashes of his feelings were displayed. A life at sea was hard and had tempered his brother into a hard man. It seemed Kisame was the only one capable of bringing out the full range of emotions in him and that knowledge frustrated Sasuke just as much as Itachi's withdrawn personality.

"Damn it." He sat down hard on the bed, feeling the softness of the feather mattress engulfing him. Falling back, he stared at the shadows playing across the ceiling. Every so often he heard footsteps move past him towards the living area of the small house before returning in the direction of the master bedroom.

The back and forth movements continued for several minutes before Sasuke finally became frustrated and rose to his feet. Grabbing the lantern, he opened his door and stepped into the black hall. The only light visible was that created by the glow of the fire, guarded by a grate in the living area and a fainter glow from beneath the door he assumed was the master bedroom. Moving with silent steps until he stood before the closed wood, he pressed his ear to the door and listened to the faint voices from inside.

"I don't know what to say to him, Kisame. One moment he's reaching for me and the next he's pushing me away and I find myself unable to adjust to it." Itachi sounded exhausted and vulnerable compared to his earlier persona. "I'm unsure what to do."

"You should slap the little shit around until he understands. He wasn't the only one who had to deal with your separation. You're a different man. I know this. You were a child then and now you aren't."

"He was a child when he was taken," argued Itachi. "I should have protected him."

"Not this shit again." There was a pause, before Kisame spoke again. "Just take off your clothes and get in the tub."

"Orders, Mr. Kisame?" teased Itachi, followed by the rustling of clothes and the sound of water shifting in a metal container. "Do not think for a moment that I have forgotten what you said earlier about Iris and the captain."

"Just drop it for now. You can have your vengeance later. We're home for a bit, let's enjoy it before Pein gets tired of standing on land and ships us out again."

The sound of a short moan was muted through the wooden door. "I miss bathes like this when we are at sea."

"I know."

The tinkle of water was followed by another moan, this one deeper. Sasuke knew he should go back to his room. It was obvious what the bath was leading to, yet his curiosity continued to eat away at him. Just the sounds coming through the door were enough to incite him to barely crack the door and peer inside.

Sasuke had to bring his fist to his mouth to stop the building gasp from escaping at the image revealed to him through the space created. Itachi was leaning back against the rim of the tub, his chest arched outward in a beautiful show of the line of muscles visible beneath taut skin. The light flickering from candles littered about the room created designs in shadows on Itachi's skin.

Kisame crouched shirtless outside the tub behind Itachi, his hand flat against the wet flesh of the arched chest, slowly moving down below the line of the tub. His face was pressed to Itachi's ear, lips moving slowly in unheard words meant only for Itachi. When Itachi arched back even higher, Sasuke shuddered and clenched his fingers more tightly on the wood until he swore it creaked beneath his grip. Kisame must have reached his goal to garner such a desperate and erotic reaction from Itachi.

Swallowing the sudden pool of saliva in his mouth, Sasuke found he could not turn his eyes from the scene. Each slow move of Kisame's hand felt as if it was on his body. The moans ripped from Itachi's throat were quickly heating his blood with desire and a sense of the forbidden. He wanted more-wanted to see what was hidden beneath the rim of the tub, to see Kisame's hand teasing over what had to be hard flesh rising upward from sprawled thighs.

"Shit," breathed Sasuke, too low to be heard.

Without even realizing it, his hand crept to his crotch, where his pants were pulled tight over a burgeoning erection, to palm the bulge with slow, hard rubs. His breath picked up in time with Itachi's pants. He could see the puckering of coral colored nipples every time Itachi arched his back. When Kisame leaned over to lick at the puckered flesh, Itachi and Sasuke moaned in synchronization, Itachi easily drowning out Sasuke.

His hand moved faster against his clothed erection. He wanted to finish so badly. It felt like years since the last time he relieved himself. The need had not been there, but suddenly it was rearing its head and making his desires physically evident. Seeing his brother lost in desire, he could not fight the lust rising in him and he blamed Juugo for putting the thought of wanting Itachi into his mind.

As Sasuke watched on, Itachi curled into himself before rising to his knees and leaning forward so that his body arched like that of a cat, leaving the smooth expanse of his back visible. Kisame's hand never stopped it's movement, and his lips pressed kisses along the breadth of Itachi's shoulders before biting down at the curve of a sun-kissed neck. Both of Itachi's hands darted out to grip the rim of the tub and his body arched to an even higher degree, causing his groin to be nearly visible to Sasuke.

Sasuke's hand was now inside his loosened trousers, pumping himself in earnest. He was surprised he was able to bite back the loud moans and growls rising to his throat and threatening to reveal his presence to the two men he watched with excited fervor. They caught in his chest, being forced back with some unknown strength of will.

Kisame's unoccupied hand drifted down Itachi's arched back and from view. Sasuke's body clenched painfully tight, knowing exactly the destination of that hand. His teeth cut his lower lip, causing the metallic taste of blood to dance across his tongue. His hand was flying up and down his shaft with little finesse. All that mattered was reaching that satisfying end.

Itachi pressed back into Kisame, his face completely hidden from view by long locks of damp, sooty hair. "Shit, Kisame," he moaned.

Kisame grinned into his shoulder and doubled the pace of his hand. The muscles of Itachi's back and shoulders drew taut moments before he gave a shout and began bucking into the touch. Jerking spasms rocked his body while Kisame milked him dry.

Sasuke's pupils flared and his teeth clamped down on his sore lip as heated spurts of wetness spilled over his palm and into his trousers. His knees nearly gave out at the thick haze of satisfaction rippling through him. His toes curled in his boots and his eyes nearly crossed in what could very well be the most satisfying self pleasuring he had ever experienced. He was just coming down from his high when he felt a sharp gaze on him.

His eyes shot open fully to see Kisame staring at him. There was no denying he was caught, but instead of anger, a grin spread across the man's normally hard features. His hand dipped into the tub water before rising to Itachi's hair and fisting it so to force Itachi's neck to arch back and display the hard muscles of his chest and abdomen. His other hand lifted the pinch a coral nipple which caused Itachi to release a shuddering moan.

Sasuke watched unabashed as Itachi was drawn shakily to his feet, his body completely displayed for him. Everything was in perfect proportion to his height, from his broad shoulders to his narrow hips and lean legs. Even the thatch of dark hair beginning below his navel and working around the base of a limp pink shaft was neither too thick nor too sparse.

Kisame's hand left Itachi's hair and drifted down the encircle the base of the limp shaft, giving it a small stroke. "Kisame," growled Itachi with a scratchy voice.

"Would you like me to fuck you now?"

Though Itachi assumed the words were meant wholly for him, Sasuke knew better. Without even breaking eye contact, Kisame was bringing rise to an insanity within him. His body, still limp, was twitching and clenching with a desire to break all boundaries and enter the room to beg for more.

"Or would you rather do the fucking?"

"Oh shit," mouthed Sasuke.

He couldn't take it any longer. He turned on his heel and moved quickly and silently back to his room before his instincts made off with what remained of his sanity. A quick jerk had his soiled trousers falling down his legs and his left hand grasping the half-hard length of flesh attempting to rise between his thighs.

His touch was almost painful on the sensitive flesh. A second release so soon after a first was a nearly unknown action for him. Self-pleasuring was never a priority with him, yet his body seemed to be catching up with him as he fell to his hands and knees on the bed.

With face pressed into the soft down pillow and body arching up as if seeking an unseen lover, Sasuke bit back a scream of both pleasure and discomfort. His body contracted, giving him only a moment to cup his hand over the head before spilling forth a few small spurts of fluid. He was left panting in the haze of his second orgasm so soon after the first. In the renewed silence of his blood, his ears picked up the loud moans and shouts coming from the master bedroom.

"Fucking Juugo," snarled Sasuke as he stood and stomped towards the empty water pitcher, taking it into the kitchen. Vulgar words were spoken in every language he knew. He was almost violent in his working of the handle on the hand pump.

Taking the pitcher back to his room, he set about meticulously cleaning away the evidence of his indiscretion from his body from the sweat on his face and shoulders to the drying pearls of semen caught in the wiry black hair at the apex of his hips. He wanted to forget what he had done, the reaction Kisame intensified when he realized he and Itachi were being watched.

"Shit," he shouted. "Stop thinking about it."

Running his hands through his hair, he closed his eyes and breathed in slow, measured breathes. Control returned, not as firm and steadfast as he would have liked, but any sort of grip on himself was more than he had possessed earlier. As he lay in the bed and sleep slowly crept upon him, a wayward thought saw him off into sleep. What would Itachi think of him if he knew?

oOo

Sasuke was up and away from the house before the sun fully rose in the east. He took the time to explore the island in detail. Only a few servants and craftsmen were up and about. It was several hours past the crowing of the cock when he finally made his way to a pretty young woman carrying several loaves of fresh bread to the nearby tavern.

His pleading eyes and good looks garnered him the prize of a loaf. He left her sighing as he made his way towards an unoccupied portion of the pristine beach, settling at the base of a palm to break his fast. Each bite of the warm bread had him giving small moans in pleasure. It had been far too long since he took the time to savor the delights of fresh food not overshadowed by the taste of the ocean.

"You sound like your brother when you moan."

Sasuke's eyes shot open just as a shadow blocked out the sun from his face. Kisame stood over him, a wide grin splitting his face and causing the twin scars on his cheeks to stretch taut, one pale while the other still carrying the pink of recent.

Scrambling to his feet, he plastered a glare on his features. "You shouldn't talk about Itachi like that, you arse."

Kisame merely arched a brow and took a step closer. "You're thinking of your brother like a woman."

Large arms caged Sasuke against the tree. "And I can assure you that he is all male. His cock feels so good when he takes the lead."

A flush spread across Sasuke's features. He tried to maintain his angry visage, yet failed miserably in the face of the rising desire. "Stop-"

"You want his cock, don't you? You want it inside you. You want to suck it down your throat." Hot breath wafted along the skin of his cheek and ear, forcing him to fight to keep in the shudder the faint touch evoked. He was quickly losing control of himself, nearly acting like a bitch in heat. Why now was his body rising in lust long tamped down?

A low, barely audible moan escaped past Sasuke's lips. His eyes closed at the words pouring over his senses, painting a picture he very much desired to be a reality, no matter how depraved and disgusting others might find it. His inner self had no qualms with admitting to a developing lust for his brother and with Kisame's words flaming him on, he found it difficult to force those thoughts of Itachi away.

"You might sound like your brother, but you aren't him, are you?" One of Kisame's arms lowered and his hand slid down the length of Sasuke's arm. "I wonder what Itachi would think of you desiring him?"

A moment of panic poured into Sasuke. His relationship with Itachi were currently strained and uncertain. He was having a difficult time relating to his brother. There was no anger, only strained frustration. He wanted to relate to his brother. He wanted that familiarity he remembered from his childhood. Bringing their lives together was more difficult than merely being physically together. Kisame could ruin everything by speaking with Itachi.

What brought even more fear to rise in him was that it was not only Itachi his body desired. The thought of Kisame touching him, doing to his body what was done to Itachi to elicit such sounds from him, had blood pooling low in Sasuke's stomach. He was nearly quivering with the mixture of emotions roiling through him.

A small click of Kisame's tongue against the roof of his mouth brought Sasuke from his thoughts, anger quickly rising to replace the fear and momentary lapse into lust. "You're a son of a bitch."

Kisame stepped back and cocked his head so that their eyes met, arms folding over his chest. "Itachi calls me that from time to time."

"You're teasing me," snapped Sasuke, secretly relieved that Kisame was no longer pressed against him so that he could bring his body firmly back in control. "Stop it."

"You're quick to rise to fight, so like your brother when I first met him." Kisame grinned. "He still has that fight, but he's tapered the edge so that it isn't wild like you, but instead a very sharp and well-maintained blade."

"Stop aggravating Sasuke, Kisame."

Sasuke stiffened visibly, his dark eyes shifting from where Kisame stood to a figure just coming through the line of trees. Itachi looked relaxed and content in his loose trousers and shirt. Knee-high boots accented his calves and the loose fall of his hair gave him a less stiff appearance.

"He's so fun to tease." Kisame inclined his head to Itachi. "You should try it sometime."

A small smirk quirked Itachi's lips. "I just might do that."

That dark gaze became slightly more hooded when it fell upon Sasuke. "I'm sorry I missed you this morn."

Relief and dread mixed together in Sasuke. He swallowed back the bitter taste of longing in his throat. "I left early. I wanted to take a look at the town."

His brother's dark head nodded slowly. "Kisame and I were going to take the midday meal at the tavern before stocking some fresh meat and bread. Would you care to join us?"

Sasuke wanted to desperately. It was an extended hand to him, something Itachi seemed to have difficultly doing. How could he deny a chance to be with Itachi. With any luck, his current fascination with his brother would fade once they resumed some sort of brotherly relationship.

With a slow nod of his head, Sasuke stepped past Kisame towards his brother. He took in every aspect of Itachi, trying to merge the brother of his past with the man now standing before him. He recalled Itachi's words to Kisame the night before. He would have to learn this Itachi before they could have anything resembling the relationship of their past.

A pleased look spread across his brother's face before it was quickly hidden beneath the mask always present on Itachi's face. He wanted to see that look again. Pleasing his brother had always been something he strove for, and he quickly found himself falling back into that routine. Walking here beside Itachi gave a sense of nostalgia, and only the threat of Kisame walking to Itachi's right had him nervous of what the man had planned.

AN: As always, written for gaia77. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter.